Electric vacuum regulator

Abstract

A pressure regulating valve comprising: a magnetic circuit comprising a magnetic central portion having a fluid passage, adapted to receive fluid at a first pressure level; an annular, upraised magnetic valve seat coaxial with the central portion and disposed at and about one end of the central portion, the one end and valve seat disposed within a pressure chamber, the magnetic circuit further including a movable valve element, acted upon by the magnetic flux flowing through the magnetic circuit, to regulate the pressure within the pressure chamber corresponding with an input electrical signal, including a disk comprising, in at least a portion thereof through which the magnetic flux flows, a non-magnetic material of a given thickness facing the valve seat and a magnetic material secured to the non-magnetic material on a dimension thereof opposite the valve seat; a spring for biasing the disk toward the valve seat; an output port for communicating the pressure chamber to a pressure responsive device; an input port for communicating fluid at a second pressure level to the pressure chamber.

I claim: 
     
       1. A pressure regulating valve comprising: a magnetic circuit comprising a magnetic central portion having a fluid passage, adapted to receive fluid at a first pressure level;   an annular, upraised magnetic valve seat coaxial with the central portion and disposed at and about one end of the central portion, the one end and valve seat disposed within a pressure chamber, the magnetic circuit further including first means, acted upon by the magnetic flux flowing through the magnetic circuit, to regulate the pressure within the pressure chamber corresponding with an input electrical signal, including a disk comprising, in at least a portion thereof through which the magnetic flux flows, a non-magnetic material of a given thickness facing the valve seat and a magnetic material secured to the non-magnetic material on a dimension thereof opposite the valve seat;   means for biasing the disk toward the valve seat;   means for communicating the pressure chamber to a pressure responsive device;   first passage means for communicating fluid at a second pressure level to the pressure chamber.   wherein at one operating point defined by a desired pressure level in the chamber, when communicated to a pressure responsive device for a given value of the input electric signal, the thickness of the non-magnetic portion of the disk is chosen such that the reluctance of the magnetic circuit is such as to produce a magnetic force upon the disk to establish an equilibrium force condition thereacross to regulate the pressure chamber pressure to the desired pressure at the calibration point.   
     
     
       2. The valve as defined in claim 1 wherein the non-magnetic portion is disk shaped. 
     
     
       3. In a vacuum pressure regulating valve a method of generating a controlled pressure signal at a calibration or specified operating point defined by established pressure signals and a predetermined current signal, the valve comprising: a magnetic circuit comprising a magnetic central portion having a fluid passage, adapted to receive fluid at a first pressure level;   an annular, upraised magnetic valve seat coaxial with the central portion and disposed at one end of the central portion, and about the one end of the central portion, the one end and valve seat disposed within a pressure chamber, the magnetic circuit further including first means, acted upon by the magnetic flux flowing through the magnetic circuit, to regulate the pressure within the pressure chamber corresponding with an input electrical signal, including a disk comprising, in at least a portion thereof through which the magnetic flux flows, a non-magnetic material of a given thickness facing the valve seat and a magnetic material secured to the non-magnetic material on a dimension thereof opposite the valve seat;   means for biasing the disk toward the valve seat;   means for communicating the pressure chamber to a pressure responsive device;   first passage means for communicating fluid at a second pressure level to the pressure chamber   the method comprising the steps of selecting one disk from a family of disks having non-magnetic portions of varying thicknesses and assembling the valve;   applying a pressure to various input pressure,   applying the predetermined current signal corresponding to the operating point to generate magnetic flux;   measuring the control pressure in the pressure chamber;   comparing the actual control pressure to the desired control pressure, at the operating point, if an out of specification condition exists repeat the step of selecting by selecting another disk having a different thickness of non-magnetic material.